California Roll Is Solar-Powered Bluetooth Speaker Made for the Beach

Trips to the beach can be a real bummer if you haven't remembered to charge your portable speaker, but the California Roll from Lemon does that work for you. This solar-powered bluetooth speaker uses 33 cells to power its 6 internal speakers, lasts almost a whole day and it's got enough water-resistance so it can survive short dips in the water.

Hands-on Impressions

Even at a loud, chaotic press event at CES 2017, the California Roll kicked out a ton of sweet sound, enough for me to clearly hear The Weeknd's crooning over all the noise around me. The speaker is a little heavy, but that's to be expected when you're packing 6 speakers and solar cells and a mobile device charger into a Bluetooth speaker and also making it water-resistant.

Pricing and Availability

$249, March 2017

Key Specs

IPX7-rated water resistance; 6 internal speakers; 21 hours of battery life off of 7 hours of exposure to sunlight; 33 solar cells; 5,000 mAh device charger

What's New

The California Roll speaker isn't the first solar-powered water-resistant Bluetooth speaker, but it's got a ton to love. 21 hours of battery life off of 7 hours of sunlight means the daylight can keep your tunes blasting all night long, and its IXP7 water-resistance rating means it can survive for 30 minutes while it's one meter deep in water. For maximum sound, two California Rolls can be linked together to kick out the jams in sync. You can even charge a device from the energy collected by its solar panels.

Why You Should Care

If you're trying to find the right rugged speaker for a day at the beach, the California Roll offers everything you need. You can even buy one that matches your gear, as it comes in black, blue, red and white.

Outlook

I'm intrigued about taking a pair on vacation, but my wallet is a little apprehensive. I'd love to test its audio quality in a less noisy environment.

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.